Amy Weiss Joins the United Nations Foundation

Washington, DC —
April 12, 2004

The United Nations Foundation (UN Foundation) announced today the appointment of Amy Weiss as the Vice President of Public Affairs. In this position, Ms. Weiss will direct the advocacy and communications work of the Foundation.

“Amy Weiss’ impressive background in both the public and private sector makes her a natural choice to lead our communications and advocacy team. She is a strong addition to the accomplished group we have at the UN Foundation,” said Sen. Timothy E. Wirth, President of the UN Foundation.

Prior to joining the UN Foundation, Ms. Weiss worked as the Senior Vice President of Communications for the Recording Association of America (RIAA). She was responsible for driving the long-term strategic planning and messages for the RIAA, which included technology initiatives, First Amendment challenges, legal and legislative actions and international policy. The RIAA is the trade association for the U.S. recording industry, representing hundreds of record labels.

"We will miss Amy. She has been an enormous gift to the music community. The qualities she brings to the table—strategic insight, the ability to craft and articulate a message, a delightful colleague and friend—were invaluable. I know she will do great work for the UN Foundation and they are fortunate to have her," said Mitch Bainwol, Chairman & CEO, RIAA.

Before her tenure at the RIAA, Ms. Weiss was the Director of Public Affairs at Burson-Marsteller where she provided strategic and media relations counsel to a broad range of clients, including American Airlines and the Public Broadcasting Service. Prior to joining Burson-Marsteller, Ms. Weiss was the Deputy Press Secretary to President Clinton and served as an on-the-record spokesperson for the White House. She began her White House service as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary for Operations where she served as Chief-of-Staff to then-Press Secretary Mike McCurry.

Additionally, Ms. Weiss has worked as Press Secretary and Communications Director for the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Before going to the DNC, Ms. Weiss worked for the late-Rep. Mike Synar (D-OK) as his Campaign Manager and earlier worked as his congressional Press Secretary and for the Government Operations Oversight Subcommittee on Environment, Energy and Natural Resources, which Rep. Synar chaired. She also served for five years as Communications Director at the Center for National Policy

She will begin at the UN Foundation in late May 2004.

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The United Nations Foundation was created in 1998 with businessman and philanthropist R.E. Turner’s historic gift to support UN causes. The United Nations Foundation promotes a more peaceful, prosperous, and just world through the support of the United Nations and its Charter. Through its grantmaking and by building new and innovative public-private partnerships, the United Nations Foundation acts to meet the most pressing health, humanitarian, socioeconomic, and environmental challenges of the 21st century.